


A Room With a View

by ellebeedarling, FallingOverSideways



Category: Mass Effect Trilogy
Genre: Fluff, M/M, No Reaper AU, Peeping Tom, Yoga, love/romance, silliness
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-14
Updated: 2017-06-21
Packaged: 2018-11-14 02:56:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 9,868
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11199015
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ellebeedarling/pseuds/ellebeedarling, https://archiveofourown.org/users/FallingOverSideways/pseuds/FallingOverSideways
Summary: Shepard's new apartment comes with an amazing view - namely the smokin' hot yoga instructor across the street!**Incredible artwork by FallingOverSideways in Chapter 1.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> So, this idea belongs totally to FallingOverSideways! She sent me a (very detailed) prompt for this fic, and I just had to write it! I'm giving her credit as a co-conspirator, I mean creator, because this work would not exist without her! :) 
> 
> It's rather short, but still a few chapters. I'll post approximately one chapter a day.

_[Magnificent artwork by the superb FallingOverSideways](https://shotce.tumblr.com/post/162145921617/a-room-with-a-view-chapter-1-ellebeedarling)._

 

 

 

Shepard sat on the edge of his bed, toes wiggling on the cold floor of his room. He always kind of hated that first night in a new place – though he was plenty accustomed to being shuffled around from billet to billet. Such was the life of a soldier. Still, as first nights went, this one hadn't been all that bad. At least his new bed was comfy.

 

His leg was throbbing, and sitting here on the bed, taking in his new digs, was just an excuse to avoid the agony of having to stand up. Two months ago, his leg had been crushed by the falling debris of a ship that had been destroyed during the Battle for the Citadel. It had been a long hard fight to bring in the rogue Spectre Saren and put an end to the Second Geth Rebellion. A shattered hip and femur was a small price to pay for bringing peace to the galaxy, and he'd earned a second Star of Terra for his efforts.

 

Recovery was a slow process, even with his genetic enhancements and heavy bone weave, and he was growing weary of the pain and the struggle to regain the use of his leg. He should be grateful, however. After the injury, the doctors on the Citadel were less than hopeful that he'd ever walk again. Now his prognosis looked better, but there was still a question about whether or not he'd be able to resume his duties at some point in the future. The Alliance was keeping him on medical leave until a determination could be made. In the meantime, they'd moved him from the Citadel to Vancouver to continue with his PT and possibly have another corrective surgery.

 

Grabbing his crutches from where they were leaned against the wall, he slowly hoisted himself up. There was no point sitting here all day. Besides, he really needed to pee. Finally leaving the room, he headed for the coffee pot he'd set to automatically brew a pot at 0600. He had yet to meet a fellow soldier who could function without at least half a pot in the morning, and he was certainly no exception. The coffee machine and his favorite mug had been the only things he'd unpacked the night before, after his arrival.

 

Carrying a cup of coffee while using crutches was a tricky prospect, but he somehow managed to slowly make his way to the balcony, only spilling the coffee once on his pajama pants. It might have scalded if he had any feeling in the skin of his leg. It was mostly scar tissue after the injury and surgeries. Thankfully there was a table and chair on the balcony. Shepard set the cup down then lowered himself into the chair with a groan. A whimper of relief escaped his lips as soon as the pressure was taken off his leg.

 

The sun was rising behind him, but it was high enough to begin casting its golden rays over the top of his apartment building and across the city ahead of him. The view was actually spectacular. Having grown up on ships, it was always something of a wonder to him every time he was stationed planetside.

 

There was another apartment complex just across the street, but the building was shorter than Shepard's by a few stories. That gave him a nearly unobstructed view of the cityscape, and he could just make out the glimmer of light reflecting off the waters of the English Bay in the distance. Blue eyes surveyed the surroundings and landed on the building across the way. There was a rooftop garden. Lush, colorful flowers and foliage surrounded a large swimming pool with a small waterfall at one end.

 

“Must be where the admirals live,” John muttered wryly as he sipped the scalding liquid in his cup. The mug – his favorite – had been a gift from his Gunnery Chief, Ashley Williams, for his birthday the year before. It was white with black wording – _This Is My Favorite Mug on the Citadel_ – a running joke between Shepard and his crew since he had no shame about offering stores endorsements in exchange for a discount on goods and services. Before the war, there had been at least five stores on the Citadel with the Commander's seal of approval – _I'm Commander Shepard, and this is my favorite store on the Citadel._ Shepard chuckled at the thought. Hey, at least he'd saved a ton of creds on top of the line gear for himself and his team.

 

The air was still chilly this early in Vancouver, and Shepard regretted leaving his hoodie inside. Walking with those damned crutches was such a hassle, however, that he decided to simply forego it and suffer in silence. The mug of coffee kept his hands warm at least. He could always sit inside, but staring at the dreary apartment and the pitifully few boxes containing all his worldly possessions was not his idea of a good time. Besides, he'd always enjoyed being outdoors. The air was crisp and clean smelling, the view was nice, and out here he could pretend that he was on vacation rather than wasting away on medical leave.

 

Movement caught his eye, and Shepard sat up to get a better look. A man, possibly mid-thirties, stepped out onto the balcony directly across from and a couple floors below Shepard's own, and suddenly the world seemed a great deal warmer. Though he was too far away to see many details, he could make out enough to know that the man had a handsome face, raven hair flecked with silver, and toned muscles so defined they appeared carved from stone. And he was wearing nothing but a pair of boxer briefs. Damn.

 

Trying not to be obvious, Shepard relaxed back in his chair, shifting slightly so as to watch the man through the balcony railing, thankful to have one made of wrought iron rather than the solid ones that seemed made of armor plating. “What is he doing?” Shepard wondered aloud as he watched the man stretch his arms over his head, then bring them back down to chest level, fists at his sternum, elbows jutting out to the sides. The man twisted at the waist a few times before he began to work through what was obviously a practiced routine of yoga and pilates.

 

“Sweet Jesus,” he murmured as the man spread his legs, twisted at the waist again, and bent down to grab his right ankle, presenting Shepard with a view that had his body reacting in all sorts of embarrassing ways. There were so many things wrong with watching his neighbor this way that Shepard couldn't begin to list them all. Ugly words like voyeur and Peeping Tom flitted through his brain, but as Yoga Man bent and turned his body like a private show just for Shepard, he couldn't quite find the will to turn away. When the man finally laid down on a mat to work on some different poses, Shepard had to shift forward again in his seat in order to keep watching. Christ, he was so going to hell for this, but the man was just so fucking hot!

 

When Yoga Man shifted into upward facing dog, looking like he was humping the floor beneath him, Shepard muttered a string of curses and finally admitted to himself that he was a creepy fucking pervert. As carefully and quietly as he could, he grabbed his crutches, abandoning his coffee mug, and headed back inside. A glance at his chrono reminded him that Lieutenant Cortez would be by in half an hour to pick him up for his PT appointment. He'd better start getting ready.

 

 

 


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Didn't get to post a chapter yesterday because I posted to my other fic. Should be posting daily for the next couple days. 
> 
> Hope y'all are enjoying! :)

James Vega was a brute of a man with a heart of gold. Shepard had been a little leery when he'd discovered that Vega was to be his physical therapist. He seemed the type to push a man till he wanted to cry and then push just a little further, and that's exactly what he'd done with Shepard every day this week. However, he did it with enthusiasm and gentle encouragement that made it easy to want to do whatever the man asked. By Friday, Shepard knew that he liked the man. James' style was a far cry from what he'd been accustomed to on the Citadel, but the new techniques were getting results. That was pretty nice, too.

 

“You're spacing on me again, Loco,” James muttered as Shepard struggled through his latest exercise. Truth was, he wanted to strangle James at the moment. His leg was screaming, his body tense to the point of nausea.

 

“James,” Shepard panted, a little more desperate that he wanted to admit.

 

“Don't be wussing out on me now, Commander. Come on... three more times.”

 

Shepard tried to think of anything that could distract him from the pain and trembling in his muscles. Of course the image his dirty mind conjured up was of the man across the way. Every single morning this week, Shepard had taken his coffee to the balcony, and every single morning, Yoga Man came out in a pair of black briefs or boxer briefs to run through his yoga routine. Shepard wondered if it were merely a side effect from not having gotten laid in so long. Really, it hadn't been _that_ long, but it had been a few months at least. Definitely not since his injury. Not like he could really _do_ anything about it these days. But he couldn't keep his eyes off Yoga Man. The guy had an ass to die for, and Shepard would know because he'd ogled it every single morning that week. Unashamedly, too. Well, almost. He still felt like a creepy perv and almost wanted to send the guy a note – _Hey, I'm not really a pervert, I just think you have a nice ass. Love, Shepard._

 

Yeah... nothing creepy about that at all.

 

Saturday morning, Shepard took his coffee to the balcony, but Yoga Man didn't make an appearance. He wasn't going to admit disappointment. Definitely not. Okay, he was completely disappointed, and it reminded him that maybe he should try to get out more, meet some of his neighbors. Just... not Yoga Man. As much as Shepard liked to watch the guy, he was too embarrassed to admit that he'd spent so much time watching – drooling – over the man while he worked through his morning exercise routine. Somehow he figured that might put a damper on any friendship they might develop.

 

Sighing, he pulled himself to his feet to begin the arduous journey back inside his apartment. His meager belongings had been unpacked, and the only ornament in the entire place was a framed holo of him with his parents, all in Alliance blues, from the day he'd graduated ICT, sitting on the end table by the couch. A glimmer caught his eye before he could get himself turned around, and he looked up to see Yoga Man popping up out of the pool on the roof of his apartment building. Shepard's mouth went dry. How horrible would he be if he went to get his targeting visor in order to get a better glimpse?

 

Bad. It would be bad.

 

Not wanting to draw any attention to himself – he didn't want the man knowing he was being watched after all – he eased himself back into his chair to observe as the man swam laps. No wonder his muscles were so toned. The man was an exercise fanatic. Shepard used to love running. He sighed. There was a very real possibility that he'd never run – or walk without assistance – again. When Yoga Man rose from the pool after half an hour, all that water running down those well-cultivated muscles, Shepard was mesmerized, and it wasn't until Yoga Man had dried himself off, wrapped the towel around his waist, and sauntered away that he was finally able to move from his spot.

 

This had gotten beyond ridiculous.

 

**

 

A mysterious woman named Kasumi lived in the apartment next to Shepard's. They'd run into each other, literally, when the woman was walking by as Shepard was hobbling out of his apartment to head downstairs and wait for Lt. Cortez to take him to his therapy appointment. Shepard had nearly fallen over – since he could still be a little unsteady on his crutches – and the woman had reached out a hand to catch him quickly before he fell. She'd felt so bad that she'd offered to take him out for a soy latte. Checking his chrono, he realized he had time to kill before Cortez arrived, so he'd agreed.

 

The pair made their way to the coffee shop on the corner, and Shepard went ahead and tapped out a message to Cortez on his omni-tool telling him to come to the coffee shop instead of the apartment to get him. He let Kasumi order and bring his coffee to him because it was hard enough to carry coffee in a cup with a handle while using these stupid crutches.

 

She told him about some of the building's other residents. Old man Massani lived in the apartment on the other side of Shepard. John had yet to see anyone at the place, but it wasn't like he left his own apartment much other than for his therapy appointments. According to Kasumi, Massani was a retired mercenary who kept an impressive collection of unique and unusual weapons in his apartment. Professor Solus lived across the hallway. The salarian scientist kept odd hours, rarely seeming to sleep. If Shepard had been paying more attention, he might have noticed that the light was almost always on in the professor's apartment, but the truth was, he hadn't paid much attention to any of his neighbors – other than Yoga Man, at any rate. Somehow he managed to keep from grimacing at that thought.

 

The last resident of note on their floor was a crazy woman named Jack. Kasumi assured him that she was harmless, mostly, but that she rarely wore clothes and kept her head shaved bald. “She has less hair than you, Shep.”

 

John frowned and ran a self-conscious hand over his buzzed scalp. He took a sip of his coffee as he wondered what to say. Thankfully he didn't have to try to come up with anything as Cortez pulled up outside. “Thanks for the coffee,” he said sincerely.

 

“Anytime, Shep. Hey, we usually all get together on Friday nights at my place to play poker. You're welcome anytime. Just BYOB and maybe a bag of chips or something.”

 

Shepard laughed. “I'll be looking forward to it.”

 

**

 

James was more relentless than ever that day, but he always did everything with such a cheery attitude and a dizzying smile that it was hard to be upset about it. “Loco, I think your leg is stronger after just a week,” Vega informed him as he slapped him on the back hard enough to knock the breath out of him.

 

Shepard wondered briefly if this was the fate of all war heroes – to be tortured and abused by burly physical therapists with distracting muscles and a disorienting smile. Vega was hot, but he couldn't hold a candle to Yoga Man. He shook his head to dislodge the thought. What was it about that guy that drove Shepard out onto that balcony every single morning? The only days of the week the man wasn't doing yoga in his underwear were the weekends when he was on the rooftop swimming laps in the pool instead.

 

“Spacing out on me again,” Vega announced, tapping Shepard's foot with his own. “Focus, Loco.”

 

Leaning against the wall, John let his head fall back as he tried to catch his breath. God, this fucking sucked! His first reaction was to lash out at James, but it wasn't Vega's fault. The man was simply doing his job, and Shepard knew that he'd never improve if he didn't push himself past his limits. Still, his leg hurt like hell, and the strain was giving him a headache. With a growl of frustration, he forced himself back to the task at hand, stretching his leg the way James had shown him until tears prickled the edges of his eyes.

 

The pain became nearly unbearable before James finally let him relax his pose, and Shepard collapsed to the floor, gasping for breath and staring up at the ceiling. James' laughing face appeared in his field of vision. “You did it, Loco! I knew you could!”

 

“Fuck off,” Shepard muttered, though there was no bite to his words. Vega simply chuckled harder and bent down to scoop the exhausted Commander off the floor and deposit him into a wheelchair.

 

“Traynor will be round to collect you for your massage in a minute,” James informed him. “You lucky bastard.”

 

Shepard laughed and relaxed into the chair. “Yeah, I don't really think I'm her type,” he said with a grin.

 

“Nah, I know you're not, but hey, nothing wrong with looking, right?”

 

“She's not exactly my type either,” Shepard said with a wink, grin widening as realization dawned on Vega's face.

 

“Ah, well, maybe I should introduce you to my friend Kaidan one of these days. Bet you'd like him. Smart, hot, and an ass to die for,” James winked right back. “You did good today; I'm proud of you.”

 

Shepard was still chuckling as James walked away, but his smile vanished and he sat up straighter as he saw a very familiar figure walk into the room. Yoga Man – who was not in his underwear, rather he wore an Alliance uniform – scanned the room, eyes locking on Shepard's own briefly, before moving on to find whomever he was searching for. His face split into a smile, and he moved to the other side of the room, embracing a tall woman in red scrubs. “Samara!” John heard him call, and that was the moment that Traynor chose to show up to take him away for his massage.

 

 


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Teehee! This story has been so fun to work on! I'm glad y'all are enjoying it so! Thanks for all the comments and kudos! :)

He'd been in a downer mood all week, despite the fact that Liara had dropped by at one point with a gift for him – a furry, brown rodent that Shepard named Boo and would never admit under threat of pain or death just how much he adored. Yoga Man was not only in the Alliance – potentially making him off limits due to regs – but seemed to already be involved with someone. Neither fact kept Shepard from tormenting himself by trudging out to the balcony with his morning coffee and pining – yes, he was fucking pining – for the Alliance officer with great taste in underwear, a fabulous ass, and an obsession with maintaining his incredible physique. And a girlfriend. Probably.

 

“Fuck,” Shepard muttered, partly because he was a completely hopeless case, and partly because Yoga Man was contorting his body in ways that were positively sinful, and Shepard was too weak willed to turn away from it.

 

After his morning therapy appointment, he spent the afternoon moping around his apartment before remembering at the last minute that he'd been invited to Kasumi's for poker night. A lucky break for him, Joker had come the day before with a grocery delivery, because, “The crew felt sorry for you and we decided to draw straws to see who would bring this shit to you. Lucky for you, I drew the short straw.” Joker drawing the short straw just meant that Shepard had nothing but booze and junk food in his pantry at the moment, but it did mean that he wouldn't have to shop for supplies to carry over to Kasumi's. His only trouble now was figuring out _how_ to get it over there.

 

Shepard was in awe of Kasumi's apartment. Unlike his own sparse abode, the woman's home was lavishly furnished with antique looking pieces of furniture, art prints that could fool the eye of any appraiser, and rare old printed books that were almost unheard of anywhere outside of museums. And roses. There were vases full of the fragrant flowers on nearly every table in the apartment.

 

“She's an art thief,” a voice beside Shepard startled him as he gazed in wonder at a print of Van Gogh's _The Starry Night._ He turned his head to see a short bald woman, nearly covered in tattoos and little else, standing beside him with her hands on her hips, scowling at the painting as if it had offended her. He decided to laugh at her joke, but the woman turned dark brown eyes on him and said, utterly deadpan, “I'm serious.”

 

Okay... he didn't quite know what to do with that, so he stuck out his hand for her to shake. “I'm Shepard,” he informed her.

 

“Jack,” she said right back, eyeing his hand warily before finally taking it and giving it a firm shake.

 

“Nice to meet you, Jack.”

 

“Yeah, we'll see about that,” she said as she walked away.

 

John just shook his head, not sure what to make of his new _friends_ , and made his way toward the table where an older man with a scarred face and mismatched eyes sat with a salarian who hadn't stopped talking since Shepard had entered the room. Introductions were made all around, beers were cracked open, and bags of chips were dumped into bowls as Massani began dealing the cards.

 

Shepard wasn't doing too badly for himself actually. It was the first time he'd ever been lucky at cards. Maybe the streak would continue. Just as he was about to raise the bet, Jack shouted from beside him, “He's back,” and she and Kasumi both raced to the window giggling, while Shepard stared after them slack jawed.

 

“Some guy across the street with a great ass,” Massani said, rolling his eyes. “That jackass has the nerve to exercise on his balcony in naught but his skivvies. Personally, I think he's trying to make the rest of us look bad. Arsehole!”

 

His mouth was too dry to swallow, so John took a swig of his beer, willing his cheeks not to heat up. “Miss Chambers, downstairs, watches with binoculars,” Mordin informed them in his rapid speech.

 

“Binoculars,” Jack shouted, slapping Kasumi on the arm. “Go get us some fucking binoculars!”

 

“Good idea,” the thief – and suddenly Shepard was rather convinced the woman _was_ a thief – declared as she scampered off to do just that.

 

_Binoculars_ , he thought. At least he hadn't stooped to that level yet.

 

“Come on, Shep,” Kasumi urged, tugging at his sleeve as she hurried past him. “You've got to get a look at Major Incredible over there.”

 

To sit and pretend he didn't care, or to have a chance to see Yoga Man's ass through binoculars? Shepard stood quickly, ignoring Massani's chuckle, and hobbled to the window, edging Jack out of the way.

 

“Hey,” she huffed punching him on the arm, but when Kasumi passed him the binoculars, he didn't care, sucking in a sharp breath as Yoga Man's figure came into focus.

 

“Damn,” he muttered, hating himself for stooping to this level while making a mental note to get his own binoculars tomorrow morning.

 

“Uh-huh,” Kasumi agreed.

 

“Look at that ass!”

 

“Let me see, you gay fuck,” Jack said, snatching the binoculars out of his hand when he turned to grin at her, and he felt somewhat better about his borderline creepy obsession with his hot neighbor. Now at least he had co-conspirators, and there was safety in numbers. Or so his mother had always told him.

 

**

 

“You're awfully distracted this morning, Loco.”

 

Shepard looked up to meet James' concerned gaze, and couldn't stop the wave of shame that washed over him. Yoga Man, Major Incredible, had shown up again at the therapy center, and appeared to be making rounds, talking with first one patient, then another. “Sorry,” he muttered, looking away and continuing with his exercises for the day.

 

James followed Shepard's gaze the next time he faltered, and grinned to himself. He'd known Kaidan for years, had never known him to date anyone, though the man had told him of an ill-fated romance from his youth. He was a good man, just like Shepard was a good man. James could see the two of them being great together. Maybe it was time to play at being matchmaker. Hey, it had worked for Cortez and his husband, Robert. Maybe he had the Midas touch when it came to setting his friends up – maybe one day that luck would work for his own love life.

 

“Hey, Major,” James hollered, and he grinned when Alenko looked up and Shepard paled.

 

“Vega,” the man said, strolling over to where Shepard was trying very hard not to die of embarrassment. The thought of a pair of binoculars sitting on his patio table made him cringe as he watched the two men shake hands.

 

“Hey, just wanted you to meet someone important. Commander John Shepard, meet my friend Major Kaidan Alenko.”

 

_Kaidan_... shit. This was the guy Vega was talking about introducing him to? His cheeks were burning with shame and proximity to Yoga Man, and when Major Incredible turned those whiskey colored eyes his way, Shepard's heart stopped beating altogether for a few seconds before striking up a deafening beat in his chest.

 

“Shepard? I've heard of you,” Kaidan said, his smile warm and inviting, and Shepard's eyes honed in on the scars crisscrossing his lips, knuckles turning white as they gripped his crutches in an effort not to lean forward and press his lips to those scars. And his voice. _Goddamnfuckingsonofabitch._ He did not need to add that voice to his already rampant fantasies about this man. God he was _such_ a fucking _perv_!

 

“Who hasn't?” James chuckled beside him, bringing him back to the here and now. “You'd've had to be living under a rock for the last year not to know who the First Human Spectre and Savior of the Galaxy was.”

 

John's face heated up again as Kaidan's eyes took him in. “Yeah,” Alenko said, “I guess you're right. We'll, it's really great to meet you, Commander.” Then he was holding out his hand toward Shepard, and John was absolutely drowning in those honey eyes and that velvet voice. He gulped, then took Kaidan's hand in his own, shaking firmly, praying his palms weren't too sweaty.

 

“He's made terrific progress the last couple weeks,” James went on as Kaidan drew his hand back, and Shepard nearly cried at the loss. “I think he'd be an excellent candidate for your class. Mostly he just has muscular atrophy and tightness, at this point. With a little work, he should be able to get back full range of motion, but I know that yoga is sometimes a nice break from the strenuous training we do out here.”

 

Shepard's eyes shot to James'. Major Incredible taught yoga classes for patients in physical therapy? He'd have to sit in a room with the man, watching him do yoga, without the safety and security of two balconies and a whole street separating them?

 

But Vega wasn't done. “I really think he'd do best with one on one sessions, though. I'm not sure he could keep up in a class setting.”

 

John was going to murder James. That was all there was to it. Strangle him with his own bare hands, then revive him, just so he could shoot him and be rid of the meddler.

 

He must have made a noise, because both Alenko and Vega turned their attention on him. Clearing his throat, he coughed a little, hoping that would be enough to cover it up.

 

“What do you think Commander?” Kaidan asked, and that voice... that ass... Shepard stifled a moan.

 

“Uh... yes,” he heard himself say, panic almost making him take the word back. “Yeah, sure,” he said instead, and now his fate was sealed.

 

“Great! I'm always happy to help out where I can. Give me your comm badge, and I'll give you a call so that we can set up an appointment time. We can do it here or at your place. Whichever makes you more comfortable.”

 

“Here,” Shepard said quickly, maybe a little too quickly. “Here's good.”

 

“Sounds good,” Kaidan shook his hand again. “It's an honor to get to know you, sir,” he said. “I'll call you in a day or two.”

 

 

 


	4. Chapter 4

Shepard was not sitting around waiting for Yoga Man, Major Incredible, Kaidan Alenko to call him. He wasn't. It was just hard for him to get around, that's all. Though it was getting easier by the day. The thought of Kaidan coming to his apartment, realizing they lived across the street from each other, and putting two and two together to figure out that Shepard had been watching him, had John in a near panic. Which is why he'd insisted on doing his yoga session at the center.

 

However, it hadn't stopped him from coming straight home from therapy, and cleaning his apartment from top to bottom, burying the binoculars in the back of his closet and tidying the balcony until it looked like no one had ever set foot out there on it. Down to only one crutch now – miraculously – it was a much simpler task to clean his apartment and do other little things that needed doing. If James thought the yoga would help, then he would do it, even if there was no way in hell he'd ever get out of it with his dignity in tact. Neither gym shorts nor sweats concealed very well when... well, shit! Yes, this was going to be an absolute disaster.

 

The ring of his omni-tool startled him, and he schooled his features before picking up on the third ring, disappointed when his mother's face popped up on the view screen. “Mom.”

 

“Well, don't look so happy to see me, John,” she huffed. “I was just calling to see how your physical therapy was going.”

 

“I'm not disappointed to see you,” he said, exasperated. “I was just expecting a call from someone else.”

 

“Oh? Not a date is it?”

 

“Not a date, mom. A yoga instructor... to help with my PT,” he added when his mother quirked a brow at him.

 

“Oh. Well, is he cute at least?”

 

John knew his face was flaming, and even if she couldn't see it through the grainy hologram, she knew him well enough by now not to need to see the blush. “Mom.”

 

“That cute, huh? Well maybe you can manage to get yourself a date after all. Lord knows it's been long enough since you dated anyone.”

 

He rolled his eyes. “Why is it so important to you that I date?” His nerves were all over the place at the moment, and he could feel his blood pressure rising.

 

“Because I love you, John. I don't want my only son to spend his life alone. Everyone deserves a chance at love and happiness. Especially you! You're a good person, sweetheart. You're kind and smart and funny and good at what you do, and... I want grandchildren one day.”

 

Shepard laughed. “Mom, I'm not going to be giving you grandchildren.”

 

“You can adopt!” she said adamantly.

 

“I don't need a partner to do that,” he reminded her. “I'll... think about it.”

 

“No rush, just... I want you to be happy.”

 

“Yeah,” he said. He'd always thought he was happy, but the older he grew, the less he liked the idea of being alone for the rest of his life. Briefly, he wondered what Yoga Man was like. If one were to choose a life partner based solely on good looks, he would be Shepard's no question, but he was wise enough to know that character was the important thing – integrity, loyalty. He couldn't see himself settling for anything less, but you had to start somewhere, right? And Yoga Man's looks were enough to pique his interest, enough to make him want to try to get to know the man. Or they would be if he hadn't spent the last few weeks spying on the man in his underwear like some disgusting predator. John sighed.

 

“What's wrong?” his mother asked.

 

“Nothing, just-” His door buzzed, and Shepard felt a thrill of panic spike through his chest. “Someone's at the door. How about we meet for lunch on Saturday?”

 

“Sounds wonderful. Dad will be back by then.”

 

“Good! I haven't seen him in ages. Love you mom. Talk to you soon.”

 

“Love you too, son. Bye.”

 

“I'm coming,” Shepard hollered when the door buzzed impatiently again. Despite the progress he'd made, it still took him longer than usual to get from point A to point B. Tali stood awkwardly on the other side of the door, arms laden with a heavy box of groceries. The crew were still on this kick about shopping for him, and each week a different person with zero knowledge of his taste in food – or even his basic dietary needs – would show up on his doorstep with a week's supply of nothing edible. Shepard appreciated the gesture so much that he didn't have the heart to tell them they were buying all the wrong things. Thank god there were plenty of takeout options nearby.

 

He watched with both amusement and horror as Tali unloaded the box which contained five pounds each of rice and sugar, a block of herb cheese, a box of saltine crackers, and about two dozen different jars of various types of pickles and olives. “These were so pretty,” she exclaimed as she lined the jars up neatly on the bottom shelf of the cupboard. “Anything this pretty has to taste good, right?”

 

“I'm sure you're right, Tali,” Shepard said with a grin. “Thank you. I really appreciate it.” And he did. He appreciated the effort at least, though it would take him years to eat that many pickles and olives, and he wasn't a cook so he didn't know what he'd do with the rice or sugar. Imagining some sort of recipe that called for rice, pickles, and olives made him shudder slightly. At least he could eat the cheese and crackers. With pickles. His grin widened. “Want to sit for awhile? I don't have any dextro food to offer you, but... there's water.”

 

“That's kind of you, Shepard, and I'd love to stay, but...” He watched her curiously as she shifted from foot to foot and wrung her hands. “I... have a date,” she finally finished quietly.

 

“A date? Hey, that's awesome,” Shepard beamed. “Who's the lucky person?”

 

“It's... um, well... it's Garrus.”

 

The confession seemed to take something out of her, and she slumped against the side of the counter. Shepard frowned. “Is that a problem? Garrus is a great guy-”

 

“Oh, no! No, it's not a problem. Not... not a problem at all. It's just... I really like him, Shepard. I don't want to mess this up.”

 

Shepard's face softened into a fond smile. “Tali,” he said softly. “Come here.”

 

The quarian shuffled forward into Shepard's embrace.

 

“I'm sure the date is going to be great. You two are perfect for one another, and if he can't see that, then he doesn't deserve you.” John returned it when Tali squeezed him tighter.

 

“Thank you,” she said. “I... wish I could stay longer, but-”

 

“Hey, don't worry about me. Go on your date, and have fun. But I'll expect a full mission brief first thing tomorrow morning.” He winked when she looked up at him, causing Tali to huff a laugh.

 

“Aye, Commander!” Tali saluted him, then gave him another quick hug before hurrying away.

 

**

 

More than a week had passed since Yoga Man – Kaidan – had said he would call Shepard to set up an appointment for private yoga lessons, and John hadn't heard one word out of the man. He hadn't seen him out on the balcony or at the pool, either. Truth was, he was starting to worry that something might have happened to him, but it wasn't like he could ask James about it. Thankfully, James was the one to bring it up.

 

“Have you heard from Major Alenko about the yoga classes?”

 

“Uh... no,” Shepard said ignoring the fluttering in his chest and concentrating on the current rep of leg presses he was doing. It still hurt like hell.

 

“Huh... It's not like Kaidan to skip out on patients. Come to think of it, I haven't seen him around here for awhile, either.” Vega pulled up his omni-tool and dialed quickly. A moment later the smoky, whiskey-smooth tone of Major Incredible's voice was filtering through the speaker.

 

“Vega! To what do I owe the pleasure?”

 

Shepard stifled a shudder and continued with his exercises.

 

“Hey, Kaidan, just got worried when I hadn't seen you around in awhile.”

 

“Yeah,” Kaidan sounded exhausted now. “Uh... my dad had a heart attack after I left the center last week. Thank god he's going to be okay, but I've been out at the orchard trying to help my mom. I called all my patients and canceled the appointments. The receptionist didn't tell you?”

 

“Oh man! I'm so sorry to hear about your dad. Glad he's gonna be okay though.”

 

“Thanks, James. Me too.”

 

“No, I didn't talk to Miranda about the appointments. Shepard here was just telling me that you never got in touch with him about starting sessions, and I got worried because that's not like you.”

 

“Oh, shit! I'm so sorry-”

 

“Hey, no worries,” James assured him. “I just wanted to make sure you were okay. Is there anything I can do to help?”

 

“No, no. I think we've got everything squared away. I'll be making calls today to get my appointments rescheduled, but tell Shepard I'll just stop by his apartment tonight to begin.”

 

John shook his head vigorously, but James ignored him. “Yeah, no problem. I'll shoot you his address. Let's get together for a beer sometime!”

 

“Absolutely! Sounds great, James. Thanks a lot!”

 

Shepard was scowling when James turned back to face him. “What? You don't want the hot major alone in your apartment?”

 

“I'm not that kinda guy, James,” Shepard insisted. “I-”

 

“Just trust me. You and Kaidan are going to hit it off great!”

 


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just one more chapter after this, an epilogue. Thanks for all the comments and kudos. I appreciate every one of them. :)

Shepard was restless. He would be pacing the floor if his leg would allow it. Barring that, he found himself tapping his good foot in agitation and drumming a steady rhythm on his knees with his hands. Major Incredible was due to arrive at any moment, and Shepard's palms were sweaty, heart in his throat. The obnoxious buzz of the door chime only served to ratchet his apprehension to unbearable levels, and he thought about taking a shot of the whiskey Ashley had brought him when she'd made her grocery delivery the day before. At least she'd had the decency to bring him some real food – meat and vegetables – although she'd brought along the bottle of whiskey and about five boxes of cookies as well. Were they trying to fatten him up?

 

“Coming,” he called, then slowly lifted himself off the couch and made his way to the door. Kaidan was standing on the other side in a pair of gym shorts and a tank top, and Shepard's face flushed as his breathing and heart rate accelerated and his mouth went dry.

 

“Good evening, Commander,” he said, every bit the professional.

 

“Major,” Shepard managed, thrusting his hand out to shake. “It's good to see you again. Thanks for coming.”

 

“Nice place,” Kaidan said glancing around. He was just being polite, Shepard knew. The apartment itself wasn't bad, but he hadn't done anything to make it feel more homey. Other than the photo of himself and his parents and a handful of model ships scattered around that he'd assembled to stave off sheer boredom, there was nothing noteworthy in the place. Well, there was also Boo, but Kaidan didn't comment on any of it.

 

“Uh, thanks. Come on in. Can I get you something? Water? I, uh... I think there's some beer or whiskey...”

 

Kaidan chuckled. “Water's fine. Probably not a good idea to drink alcohol just before we exercise.”

 

“Oh... right. Yeah.” Shepard moved stiffly toward the kitchen and pulled two bottles of water from the fridge, offering one to Kaidan before setting his on the counter and promptly forgetting about it. He watched, transfixed, as Kaidan rolled two mats out onto the floor behind the couch. This was so bad. So, so bad. He already felt the stirrings of excitement below his waist, and all the man had done was bend over. Shit! He turned quickly, pressing himself against the counter. That was absolutely the wrong thought to have.

 

 _Shenyang, Emden, Jakarta, Cairo, Seoul, Capetown, Warsaw, Madrid..._ Reciting the names of the Alliance ships lost in the Battle of the Citadel helped sober him enough to be able to face Kaidan again. It was a dirty tactic, but these were desperate times. Full of shame and self mortification, Shepard finally hobbled his way to where Kaidan was waiting for him to begin.

 

“You know, I live just across the street,” Kaidan said with a chuckle as he helped Shepard lower himself to the floor. “I could hardly believe it when James told me where you lived. Small world, huh?”

 

“That is crazy,” Shepard said, biting the inside of his cheek to keep from groaning at the feel of Kaidan's warm hands on his torso. God, he was so warm! He pulled his good knee up, his bad leg laid out awkwardly on the floor in front of him, and Kaidan lowered himself onto the mat beside him.

 

“Alright, let's see how far you can bed that leg,” Kaidan told him. Every pose they did was excruciating, and only half of that was due to the pain in his leg. The other half was working so damn hard to keep his eyes on anything other than the Major's incredible ass.

 

 _Fuck! Shenyang, Emden, Jakarta..._ “I, uh... I was sorry to hear about your dad's heart attack,” Shepard said, trying to be a decent fucking human being for once. “Sorry,” he added when Kaidan gave him a questioning look, “I overheard Vega's conversation with you.”

 

“No problem, Commander,” Kaidan laughed lightly. “And thank you. He should make a full recovery. Though now maybe he'll listen to mom about all those greasy burgers he likes to eat.”

 

Shepard found himself chuckling along. “You don't have to call me Commander. Just Shepard will be fine.”

 

“Alright, Just Shepard.” Kaidan laughed a little harder when John rolled his eyes, but Shepard couldn't help the slight twist of his lips.

 

Time seemed to fly by, and before he knew it, Kaidan was rolling up his mats and preparing to leave. The night had been fun, despite the pain in his leg. He'd probably have to take a pain killer tonight to be able to sleep, but he wasn't ready to lose Kaidan's company just yet. James was right. They had hit it off. He'd discovered that Kaidan was actually an instructor at the academy – training biotic special ops squads – and that he volunteered his time at the rehab center, teaching the patients yoga to help speed their recovery.

 

They'd talked briefly about what it was like to be the first human Spectre and about the hunt for Saren and their respective roles during the Second Geth Uprising. Kaidan had been stationed with the Fifth Fleet – with Admiral Hackett, to be specific – but as soon as the war had ended, Hackett had sent him to Admiral Anderson, because the man was desperate for a strong capable biotic to train the next generation.

 

“Hey, uh... how do you feel about that beer? Now that our exercise is over, I mean,” Shepard asked, his nerves that had settled somewhere between Kaidan's “Just Shepard” joke and watching the man roll up the yoga mats, returning tenfold, and forcing him to stuff one hand in his pocket while the other gripped his crutch fiercely to hide his trembling.

 

“You know, a beer sounds great,” Kaidan said with a grin. “Let me get them, though. You look like you're about to fall down.”

 

Reluctantly – but gratefully – Shepard agreed and sat on the couch waiting for Kaidan to return with the beers. The Major sat on the opposite end of the sofa and took a swig from his bottle, sighing with pleasure as he swallowed the cold refreshment. Shepard did the same, and they both relaxed back into the cushions. “Feels like it's been ages since I did this,” Kaidan murmured. “It's been hard to relax these last few weeks.”

 

“I can imagine,” Shepard said, swiping some of the condensation on his bottle away. “As for me, I'm about to go stir crazy in this damned apartment. Sometimes I can feel the walls closing in on me.”

 

“I'll bet,” Kaidan glanced around the room again, making Shepard feel self-conscious about the drab state of his living quarters. “But you've got that balcony there, with an amazing view of the city and the Bay beyond.”

 

Shepard shrugged, going for nonchalant, and probably failing. “Don't go out there much,” he flat out lied.

 

“Maybe you should. No telling what you might see.”

 

The look he received from Kaidan made his pulse quicken and his eyes widen. Did he know? Had he seen him? _Shit, shit, shit!_ Bad... this was very bad, and he was a very bad man! “I'll,” his voice cracked, and he cleared it away. “I'll, uh... consider it.”

 

Kaidan chuckled, then looked a little nervous as he wet his lips and met Shepard's gaze. “Maybe this is too forward, but... would you want to maybe... go get some dinner sometime? I know a great place.”

 

“I.. yeah. Yes, I... would like that very much.”

 

“Good. A little sanity check in the midst of all the madness,” Kaidan laughed that husky laugh that made desire curl John's insides.

 

On this point, at least, he could be one hundred percent truthful. “I need all the sanity I can get!”

 

**

 

He was just slipping his arms into his leather jacket when the door buzzed. He and Kaidan had talked every night that week, and Kaidan had even come over two more times to help him with the yoga. It had been... nice.

 

“Come in,” he called, shrugging into his jacket and grabbing his crutch. The therapy and yoga were working their magic, and his leg was getting stronger. At his appointment earlier in the day, Dr. Chakwas had told him he might be able to switch to a cane soon. Maybe that would make getting around easier.

 

“Hey, Shepard,” Kaidan said, stepping inside the apartment, a small box clutched in his hands. “I brought you a little something,” he admitted sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck in an endearing manner while he offered the box up to Shepard. It was wrapped in plain brown paper with a simple red ribbon, and John licked his lips in anticipation as he tugged at the ribbon and ripped the paper off. When the task was finished, he held a model of a quarian ship in his hands. “I noticed that you seem to like them,” Kaidan said with a shrug.

 

Shepard grinned at him. “Yeah, thanks! I appreciate this. Gets a little boring around here during the day.”

 

“I can imagine. So... you like steaks?”

 

“Absolutely!”

 

“Great! I think you're going to like this place then. Shall we?”

 

Shepard let Kaidan go ahead under the guise of needing to lock the door behind him. In reality, he just wanted an excuse to check out the Major's ass in those tight jeans. Damn! He'd been very well behaved since his first appointment with Kaidan, and hadn't set foot out on the balcony once. He _had_ joined Jack and Kasumi at the window last night with the binoculars, but what was one little slip? His own binoculars still remained safely hidden away in the back of his closet.

 

Apollo's Cafe had a nice ambiance and a pretty great beer selection. Shepard chose a crisp IPA for himself while Kaidan took a “good ol' Canadian lager.” They toasted their new friendship, tapping the necks of their beer bottles together, then settling into a comfortable conversation about each others families and their respective upbringings.

 

Shepard was the only son of two highly decorated Alliance officers – Jack and Hannah Shepard – and had spent his entire life on various ships and space stations. Besides his current rehab, the only significant time he'd stayed planetside had been during his stint at the Villa in Rio de Janeiro. Kaidan, on the other hand, had grown up right here in Vancouver, where he'd stayed until his biotics manifest, and he was sent to Jump Zero for special training. The dark cloud that passed over the man's face at the mention of the station made Shepard change the subject. He didn't want to ruin their evening by dredging up painful memories, and it was obvious from the expression on Kaidan's face that those memories were exactly that.

 

“My parents have an orchard in the interior,” Kaidan said when Shepard asked about them. “Since dad's retirement from the Alliance, they spend most of their time out there, picking apples and brewing hard cider.”

 

“Oh yeah? I really like hard cider.”

 

“Well, maybe I'll have to take you out there some time... give you a sample.” The heat in Kaidan's eyes did unhealthy things to Shepard's blood pressure. Now was the time to play it cool. So far he'd been doing fairly well at hiding his desire for the man – at least he thought he had – but he sensed it was time to up the stakes.

 

“I'd like that,” he said, letting his own voice drop into a lower, huskier register. Kaidan's pupils dilated, and Shepard considered it a small victory. Knowing that he had a similar effect on Kaidan was empowering, sparking excitement through his chest. Their eyes stayed locked for several long minutes until they were interrupted by the waiter bringing their steaks.

 

Conversation continued all through the meal – the pair of them laughing and talking like they were old friends long after their meal was complete. “This has been fun,” Kaidan said with a shy smile.

 

“It has,” Shepard agreed, loving the way Kaidan's nervousness made his cheeks turn pink. “We should do it again sometime.”

 

“Yeah,” Kaidan's smile grew. “That'd be... that'd be really great. Can I walk you home?”

 

Shepard chuckled. “Sure. Though it hardly counts since you just live across the street.”

 

“Fair enough.”

 

It was slow going with Shepard's injured leg, but as they drew closer to their respective apartment buildings, both men slowed their pace further, just to make the night last that much longer. “I had a great time,” Shepard said quietly once they finally stopped outside his building.

 

“Me, too. I probably shouldn't say this, but... it's been a long time since I've gone on a date this fun.”

 

“That's good,” Shepard said. “I mean... yeah. Me too.”

 

Kaidan's eyes flicked down to Shepard's lips then back up to his eyes. “I really want to kiss you.”

 

“I really want you to.”

 

A grin and Kaidan moved forward, cupping Shepard's cheek, dragging a thumb against his cheekbone just before their lips connected. It would be a lie to say that Shepard hadn't been imagining what the man's lips would feel like for most of the night, but the reality blew the fantasy out of the water. Soft and moist with just a hint of sweetness from the dessert he'd had, and Shepard was drifting, floating on an endless ocean of bliss.

 

“Wow,” Kaidan breathed when he pulled away, and Shepard's smile was so wide it hurt his cheeks.

 

“Yeah.” John brought his hand to Kaidan's face and pulled him in once more. A lingering press of lips, barely more than a peck. “Good night, Kaidan,” he said with a grin as he backed away and Kaidan's lips chased his for a moment.

 

“Good night, Shepard.”

 

 

 


	6. Epilogue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The last chapter - so sad. This has been soooo much fun to work on, and I'm glad you all liked it so much! I appreciate all the comments and kudos! xoxo

“This isn't yoga,” Shepard murmured through a smile as he angled his head so that his lips would fit better against Kaidan's.

 

“This is better than yoga,” Kaidan told him, tugging Shepard's bottom lip between his teeth. “Besides, your leg is healed. We can afford to get a little... distracted every now and again.”

 

“Tsk, tsk... What would Anderson say?” His fingers dipped under the hem of Kaidan's shirt, dancing along the damp skin of the man's back as the kiss deepened. “Dereliction of duty.” He toyed with the waistband of Kaidan's shorts, tucking his thumbs just inside. “Fraternization.”

 

“You're not under my command,” Kaidan reminded him, pushing his tongue between Shepard's parted lips to silence him.

 

“Oh, but I could be.”

 

“Kinky fucker.”

 

Shepard laughed as Kaidan's lips latched onto his neck, and he wrapped his arms around the man's back to hold him closer. After six months of physical therapy and twice weekly, private yoga sessions with Kaidan, he had finally regained complete use of his leg. There were times, such as when he pushed himself too hard, that the pain would flare, causing him to limp. He still had a ways to go to be combat ready, but he found that life in Vancouver suited him just fine.

 

Anderson had offered him a nice, cushy desk job, which was boring, but the steady rhythm of life planetside was such a nice contrast to the constant uncertainty of life aboard a ship, that he found he didn't even mind that. And there was Kaidan. Since that first date, the two had been nigh inseparable, and Shepard certainly didn't mind that. He'd still never worked up the nerve to tell Kaidan about the binoculars in the back of the closet, nor the countless hours spent on his balcony spying on the man, but at this point, he figured there was no harm in letting the thing go unsaid. They were together now, and that was the important thing.

 

Kaidan's hands shifted downward, sliding under Shepard's shirt and pushing it up to expose his torso. “Can I ask you something?” the older man asked as he kissed his way across John's abdomen.

 

“Uh huh,” Shepard's brain might not be able to keep up for much longer, but he'd do his best.

 

“When are you going to tell me?”

 

John froze like a varren in the spotlight. “Tell... tell you what?”

 

Kaidan's gaze was predatory when he loomed over Shepard again. Gripping his hands, Kaidan pinned them above his head, nipping his lips a few times before smiling again. “I ran into Jack this morning at the coffee shop.”

 

“You did?”

 

“Mmhm,” Kaidan was kissing along the edge of his unshaven jaw bone, but Shepard couldn't even enjoy it. God only knew what Jack had said.

 

“What, ah... what did she have to say?” He swallowed.

 

“Funny thing, that...” Soft lips made Shepard moan as they moved along his neck.

 

“Kaidan,” Shepard called softly, breathless, wanting, momentarily forgetting that Kaidan was asking him about something.

 

“It seems I have a fan club... Major Incredible?” He stopped to peer at Shepard again, a little smile at his lips, but a dim look of concern in his eyes.

 

Shepard swallowed again. “Kaidan,” he began, wondering if he should just finally confess the whole thing and get it over with, hope for the best. Also wondering if Jack had already given it all away and now the gig was up. “I...” Closing his eyes, he sighed, gently pushing Kaidan off him and rising from the floor where they'd just been happily – shamelessly – making out on the yoga mats.

 

He headed to the kitchen to fetch them each a bottle of water, then beckoned Kaidan to sit with him on the couch. Kaidan's face had gone from mildly amused to moderately alarmed, and Shepard rested a hand on his knee briefly before thinking better of it and pulling it back.

 

“Kaidan,” he said more confidently, looking the man directly in the eyes, “I knew who you were before we met. At least... I'd seen you before. The first morning after I moved in here, I saw you... on the balcony doing yoga... in your underwear.” He coughed and glanced away, blush rising to his cheeks. “I watched you... like... every day. I... fuck, this is so embarrassing, I even bought a pair of binoculars so I could get a better look. I should have told you before now, but things were going so well, that I didn't want to fuck it up by confessing what a creep I'd been.” He fiddled with his water bottle while waiting to hear what Kaidan would think of his confession, hoping that he wouldn't be too mad. But instead of lashing out in anger, or even forgiving him so they could move forward, Kaidan didn't say anything at all.

 

Unable to bear the silence any longer, he looked up to see Kaidan staring at the floor, muscle ticking in his jaw. _Shit!_ He was taking it worse than Shepard had imagined he would, or maybe that'd just been wishful thinking on his part. But when Kaidan finally met his gaze, there was a smile in his eyes. Shepard's brow furrowed in confusion, and he was about to ask if everything was okay when Kaidan tackled him backward onto the couch and planted a searing kiss on his lips.

 

“I was wondering how long it would take you to confess,” he said with a grin.

 

“You... knew?”

 

“You weren't that discrete... None of you were.”

 

Shepard's face heated up again, and he began to stammer out an apology but was silenced with another kiss. “I have a confession to make, too.” Kaidan sat up, pulling Shepard back with him. “I uh... saw you... the day you moved in, and I...” Now Kaidan looked away, red flush creeping up his throat and face. “Well, I may have... hammed things up a little... for your benefit.”

 

“You...” Shepard's brows rose toward the heavens. “You did it on purpose? To tease me?”

 

Kaidan grinned sheepishly. “Well... You were hot, and... god, have you _seen_ your ass? I mean... it's not every day a guy as good looking as you moves in next door, and-”

 

This time, Shepard tackled him backward onto the couch, and they landed in a heap, laughing and peppering each other with kisses. “You devious bastard,” Shepard grinned.

 

“It worked though,” Kaidan grinned right back.

 

“It definitely worked.” Shepard's mouth met Kaidan's, slow and searching. “And I'm definitely glad you did it.”

 

“Move in with me?”

 

Shepard's eyes widened briefly before he nodded, then added, “Boo's non-negotiable, though.”

 

Kaidan rolled his eyes. “Sometimes I'm jealous of that little furball.”

 

“I love you.”

 

“I love you too, Shepard.”

 

They let themselves get lost in a lazy round of kisses, before Shepard pulled back and smirked, “Since I won't need them anymore, maybe I'll just leave the binoculars for the next occupants. It's really hard to appreciate the view without them.”

 

 

~End~

 

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! Hope you enjoyed it! 
> 
> Find me on tumblr: ellebeedarling.tumblr.com
> 
> FallingOverSideways (and all her brilliant art) are here: shotce.tumblr.com
> 
> Much love,  
> Elle


End file.
